“I think the most important question facing humanity is
“Is the universe a friendly place?’”
-Albert Einstein
I’ve always been intrigued by this question. Einstein goes on to say that if we feel the universe is unfriendly we will construct walls and build weapons to keep us safe. If we believe the universe to be friendly we will endeavor to understand it and our purpose and meaning in life. He concludes with a caution that if we choose to believe the universe is neither friendly nor unfriendly “then we are simply victims to the random toss of the dice”.
True, but doesn’t it make you wonder; how do we form our ideas about the universe?
I believe we form our opinions, our answers to this important question, when we are very young. The circumstances of our birth, our early childhood, and our family dynamics; parenting and peer interaction all contribute to our conclusions. And that’s a precarious thing because these things are outside of our control. If you believe as I do that our opinions are formed at an early age then you too are left with this question: who is orchestrating the conditions of our arrival here?
Consider my niece, Melanie, and her first child. Baby Eli was born into most fortuitous circumstances. Melanie and her husband lived with her parents for nearly three months after his birth which gave his grandparents and two aunts daily contact with him. His every peep was responded to immediately; he was held, adored and tended to constantly.
Do you think he felt the universe was a friendly place?
More importantly; do you think the idea he formed about life during those first months will be carried forward into his childhood and his adult life? I believe it will. Eil got a wonderful start in life which, I believe, has created expectations which will manifest positive outcomes for him which will further reinforce his belief that the universe is a friendly place.
I believe the universe is a friendly place. I was lucky too; my early years led me to that conclusion. But what do you do if your early years didn’t do that? The ideas you formed then are hard-wired into your brain. It is possible but not easy to change deeply-held beliefs especially when what you believe is your “reality”; something that your entire life has verified.
Do you believe the universe is a friendly place? Have you ever changed your mind about this? Did you come by this conclusion naturally because of the conditions of your childhood or did you make this determination later in life?
photo credit: Eli’s aunt – yes, that’s our Eli!!
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I never thought about the universe being friendly or unfriendly-- it is an attribute that people have. Some of us are born into situations that make life harder/easier than others, but I can't blame/praise the universe for that.
@Joshua Wilner/A Writer Writes Hi Josh! You haven't made a judgement on this? Leave it to you to sit on the fence ;-) LOL Okay, why do you think you escaped this? Were you born into a situation that was neither good nor bad, one that didn't cause you to form an opinion?
Latest blog post: The Magical Life of a Blogger
Always late and a dollar short. :)
The way I see it, Lori, the universe is something like a mirror, reflecting back what we bring to it. There are benevolent, friendly forces (I would say God), but free will is respected, so benevolence is not forced on us. So largely (benevolent intervention notwithstanding), life becomes a reflection of our attitudes, beliefs and actions. The frustrating part of it all is the way some use the agency the universe respects to hurt others. And so we have all the ugly parts of life that fill the news and hearts of too many people. But we can rise above the garbage that may have been a part of our experiences long before we could do anything about it (I've worked with crack babies, for instance) and start bringing something better, something sublimely beautiful, to the mirror that life is more-than-willing to start reflecting on our behalf.
@Ken Wert Maybe late but never short Ken! I like your metaphor of the mirror and I agree with it. So you believe the universe is a friendly place - that'c clear. Did it take work for YOU to get to that conclusion or were you "lucky" like I was?
Latest blog post: The Magical Life of a Blogger
My belief about the universe? it is ALWAYS abundant. ALWAYS energetic. ALWAYS giving. ALWAYS life fulfilling. And ALWAYS friendly. My belief about people? People have an innate sense of POSITIVITY and can achieve anything that aligns with the friendliness of the universe within which they live. But we have a tendency as a species to often align ourselves with the very OPPOSITE of the nature of our universe. We don't believe we can be successful, and the energy the universe brings us is what we believe. We don't believe others will like us, so we build weapons.
I believe we can change anything. And I believe the sooner we change our attitudes toward the FRIENDLINESS, we will see a much friendlier universe.
@Bryan Thompson I love your perspective on life Bryan! How did you come by it? Did you always feel this way or did you change your perspective later in life?
I'm reading this book about a North Korean who was born into a labor concentration camp and this was the only life he knew. It was beyond brutal and inhumane; he didn't know any better until he escaped, but I wonder how many days he woke up thinking this was a friendly universe. All he worried about was staying alive and where his next meal would come from.
Also, with my volunteer work for the Guardian ad Litem program, I see some kids through no choice of their own are dealt a pretty crappy hand in life.
For me, it has been a very friendly place, but I'm not naive enough to think that this is so for all. For some, it can seem an uncaring, cold, indiscriminate universe indeed.
A lot depends on your mindset and what you choose to do about your circumstances and how you react to them.
@bdorman264 Hi Bill - I was just over at your place getting my chuckle for the day!
You're right, or at least I agree with you, our experience of the world tells us whether or not it is a friendly place. The question is; can we change that view and if we do change it, does our experience of the world change too? This would depend on our knowing that there is more than what we experience and that we can affect change in our experience by changing our mind, so to speak! Is that too idealistic?
@Lori Not really, and even some in the most bleakest positions still find something good regardless of what they have to deal with.
Let’s look at it this way: We ARE the Universe, not separate from it. We don’t “deal with it” we simply represent our own manifestation of it. We could say it’s in our minds, yes. Jesus (and others) said, the “kingdom is within you” or, in my words, IS us.
It’s not friendly or unfriendly in that sense – it’s a canvas upon which we and all things evolve according to choices that are made (we could say jointly and individually if we want.)
Yes, we are truly influenced by our circumstances in life from the very beginning. (perhaps even by a predetermined choice.) We don’t all have the same opportunities or belief systems. It might sound horrible for me to say this but is it possible that whatever hand we were dealt (or chose) is exactly what we needed in order to express this Universe in all its versions whatever the ramifications might be? Whether “good” or “bad” doesn’t it all contribute to the advancement of consciousness?
Some choose to change their circumstances and the ways they express the Universe. Some don’t. Through awareness and allowing we can move beyond our current circumstances and recreate our surroundings.
Should we fight for change? We could, as we do love to overcome and fight the good fight, but I see that as separation and self-defeating, a judgment. And another battle will always find its way to us if we take that route. Do we want a life of struggle or a life of peace? If we see ourselves as trying to relate to the Universe rather than being the Universe, the battle will never end.
@Carmelo Wait while I sit down - wow - no it's okay, I AM sitting down! You just had it out with Einstein while we watched Carmelo! The kingdom, the universe is within, I'm with you on that. When you talk about the hands we are dealt are you talking about a roll of the dice? Is this the same thing? If the only goal is the advancement of consciousness, and it that is not OUR goal, then we are at the mercy of those cards, those dice. Until we figure it out.
You and I, and everyone else here on the porch today, know that we can change or circumstances. It's what we DO! But we've learned, or are learning how to do that. And just as we do, life throws another hand at us and we need to figure out how to play that.
I want a life of peace. I love your suggestion: "If we see ourselves as trying to relate to the Universe rather than being the Universe, the battle will never end." So the Universe is us and we are it. We get to decide; friendly or unfriendly. I choose friendly. Did anybody pour you a cup of tea?
@Lori LOL ... he would be fun to talk with and debate, wouldn't he be? I have a feeling I'd be a bit overwhelmed ...
Your points are excellent, Lori. If our goals don't match the universe's then it will forever seem like we're at the mercy of the cards or dice. I guess it's a matter of perspective - do we see things from our inner being truth (our universal being) or from the outer, environmentally influenced self? And, do we see it as the hand we're dealt or as a pre-emergent choice we made?
All in all, yes, we decide! Decisions are easier when we let go of long held limiting beliefs. Thank you for the tea, Lori. :-)
@Carmelo @Lori It is indeed!
@Sabrina at MyMiBoSo @Lori Oh yes! you're so right. In fact, I had love in mind. And the neat thing is that our truth (love) can be expressed in so many ways that can be unique to us! Life is so much richer that way, isn't it? :-)
@Carmelo @Lori Loved this discussion - and just to add one last piece. The only real truth is love...all the rest is part of the illusion. But this illusion feels real because it IS real to our minds and physical bodies...so yes I believe some of the pain and "unfriendliness" we feel truly FEELS real.
But our truth? Always love. So in that sense, yes it's absolutely friendly...as much as only love can be :).
Hi Lori,
You ask the darndest questions! Wow! I was one of those people who was absolutely determined for 60 years that the Universe was a hostile place out to get me. Not only that, it was all my fault. If it rained today, it was because I did something wrong yesterday. How omnipotent and awful is that! Through hypnosis, I think my parents fought fiercely when I was a baby, and I hid in a closet. Nothing about my world was secure. If something good happened, I waited for the other shoe to drop. And of course, time and again, my negative expectations were fulfilled.
How did I get to the place where I now believe that the Universe has my back, and in fact is actively working full-time to fulfill my every desire? Baby steps! Teeny tiny baby steps! Despite my worldview, I've always been a basically happy person. Go figure. My nickname as a child was Little Miss Sunshine. Some core part of me held onto a beautiful vision of the Universe, despite all perceived evidence to the contrary.
About two years ago, doing intense yoga and learning Reiki, things began to shift. My first tiny step, if I remember correctly, was that maybe fate isn't out to get me all the time. From there, it was maybe the world isn't out to get me most of the time. From there, maybe the Universe is on my side occasionally. Once I made that tiny shift to believing that Universe might actually help me, it became easier and easier to see examples of that happening. Now, I see it all around me every day.
I went through a long period of doubting, where I blamed myself for the old beliefs, all the while knowing that the blame was irrational. The turning point came when I realized that all blame and guilt are connected. You stop feeling bad about yourself at exactly that moment when you truly stop blaming anyone else for anything. Letting go of ALL judgment is the key to everything, and boy is it a difficult key!
Okay, off the soapbox. Thank you for asking such a provocative question, Lori. Hugs and a wonderful Wednesday to all!
Carole
@Carole Remy Thank you Carol for clarifying it a bit more by calling it a feeling "that the world is out to get you" - a fitting definition of an unfriendly universe! You also make the distinction between being happy and seeing the world as a friendly place. Seems happy and unfriendly universe can go together.
It sounds like you did make your way back from unfriendly to friendly, ever so gradually. Good for you and Hurray! You say letting go of ALL judgement - surely not an easy thing to do. Do you have any tools for this that you can share here?
@Lori The only tool I have, if you can call it a tool, if that I'm tired of beating myself up. The only way to stop self-judgment is to stop judging others. I catch myself at it (judging) over and over, and remind myself over and over to just be. It's a nice bonus that when you relax and let everyone just be, people are really nice!
I should have added above another major component which is Taoism. I've been a Taoist since my early twenties, and slowly that worldview, which coincides beautifully with the Law of Attraction, began to make heart-sense as well as head-sense.
@Carole Remy That's a powerful tool Carole! I like this: "people are really nice!" LOL
Hi Lori
Eli is really cute.
I grew up with food, clothing and shelter. There were many times I felt like I never belonged. Was talking to my youngest brother a few months ago and he said like he felt welcome in the home, but like he never belonged. I was very surprised he felt that way, as he did not go through the sexual abuse I did. I grew up angry although I kept it under control. I know it gave me a different perspective of the world. It shut me off with feelings that I should have had and it pretty much destroyed any self-esteem. It has been a long hard struggle to build what was destroyed in my younger years.
But it makes me cheer for the "underdog" and also believe in giving everyone a chance. If they cross me, I take a long time to forgive, if ever. And in answer to your question, I do believe there are experiences of friendly and unfriendly. When I put my "best foot" forward I can produce friendly, but if I want to believe the worst the results will be an unfriendly atmosphere. You make your own peace or turmoil within your mind when you recognize it is in your control.
Mary
@Mary Stephenson Hi Mary! You are the wonderful exception to the "rule" that a challenging childhood (and yours sounds so challenging!) makes for a challenging life. You clearly see your power and use it! You have crafted your own life. Wow! I'm in awe of you!
Yes, Eli is so cute! He's a little bright light in my life.
I believe the universe resides in your mind... Each and every mind, both friendly and unfriendly worlds colliding on a daily basis.
I believe there is a purpose behind the design of this condition. There is a struggle and fight going on around us everyday.
It's a fight for good & evil, darkness & light... It's spiritual and most do not acknowledge it because it's not something you can see, feel, or hear.
Images, dreams, visions, self-talk are impressing our thoughts everyday and then manifesting through the actions and attitudes we express towards others everyday... and its also shaping our view of the universe.
There is one of two things your life is driven by; either a friendly nature or unfriendly nature. This determines whether you're experiencing a friendly universe, or not.
I had to dig for that comment, Lori :o
@Mark_Harai I'm glad you dug Mark! ;-) The universe resides in our minds. That feels right on so many levels but how does it GET there? Seems to me there are two factors in play - our nature and our experiences. Do these two factors define the universe for us?
I agree that our beliefs vibrate and attract experiences to us that validate what we believe. You say we can change them and that they are influenced by all our present-day experiences too. So we choose "friendly" right? Once we know we have choice, that is.
@Lori You know, that's a great question, Lori... It totally makes sense that your upbringing and environment played a critical role in shaping who you are and what you believe...
The strange thing is how it can affect individuals so differently.
Some of the most accomplished, awesome fathers, mothers, professionals I'm proud to call friends grew up in the most horrific conditions no child should have to endure.
It motivated them to 'never' want to be like their abusive parent, or worse, parents.
This story is not the norm... most folks don't climb out of tragedy - they carry it with them their whole life, never 'seeing' another option of what life could be.
I believe there is something much greater going on in the grand scheme of things then we mere mortals can understand or comprehend.
I don't have all of the answers, Lori - but I would highly recommend one thing to fight for regardless; possess and share a friendly world with others.
@Mark_Harai That's a good thing to fight for Mark! I think the tragic truth is as you expressed it so well: "most folks don't climb out of tragedy - they carry it with them their whole life, never 'seeing' another option of what life could be." Yet some do.
Our focus needs to be on parenting, and on healing those who will be parents, and giving them a good childhood. Those are just some of the answers I have ;-)
Hi Sandi,
Yes, I do believe the Universe is a friendly place. I think your niece's child will carry the memory and feeling of positivity into adulthood as well. She is a product of her environment.
I also believe that children born into less fortunate circumstances can change their world view. If we become aware that we have the power to live in a "friendly world or unfriendly world" the choice of which lens to view life through is ours. But, there are people in the world who are not, and may never be, exposed to these ideas so they may never see the world as a friendly place.
I consider myself lucky to have been exposed to these ideas. Without them I would not have known that I had the power to change how I experience life.
@AngelaArtemis Hi Angela! So you agree with me (yay!) that our early circumstances can have an impact, positive or negative and that these experiences create a lens through which we view life. Just stating this for the record - someone agrees with me @Rileyhar LOL And...we can change it. But here's where the tricky part comes in: how do you change it when you don't know you can have better lenses? It depends on encountering this wonderful piece of information - this idea that we read all about all over the Blogosphere? In other words, we won't try to change something we believe is unchangeable. Until we know our worldview is only OUR worldview and not an accurate view of reality, we don't have this option available to us. (Am I ranting now?!)
What do you think Angela? Are we victims, therefore, of a roll of the dice?
@Lori @AngelaArtemis @Rileyhar Jumping in... I don't think we're victims at all. Staying unhappy is a choice. What I mean to imply here is power, not blame. It's up to us to notice what's around us that IS good, and to focus on that. I see that every day here in Mexico, people with what we would think of as nothing, and yet much happier than many Americans. I do think that when a person is ready, and it may take a long time, the right combination of people and circumstances will come into their lives, and they'll wake up to joy. Hugs, Carole
@Carole Remy @AngelaArtemis @Rileyhar Hi Carole! It depends on that right combination of people and circumstances coming along, doesn't it? Until it does, they really are subject to the beginnings of their lives and what those experiences have taught them. I'm not saying we need money to be happy, but that the temperature we take of the world when we are young tends to be the one we experience long into life until that right combination comes along. We ARE part of that, aren't we?
Hmm, like @Rileyhar I'm not sure I resonate with the words friendly/unfriendly. They don't quite capture the enormity of life for me. On the other hand, we humans do have a tendency to complicate things ;)
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@Sandi Amorim @Rileyhar Hi Sandi! Seems Mr Einstein might have chosen his words more carefully! So far we've got "fascinating", "supportive" "safe" and "fair."
I understood his statement to mean "safe" because he talks about weapons and walls (if we feel it is unfriendly) and exploration (if it is friendly). How do you feel about his reference to the roll of the dice?
I have been thinking about this quite a bit... I wanted to try to frame my thought more before jumping in, but I can't seem to get it just right so I thought I would see if anyone 'gets it' or can help! I think that I too had a wonderful childhood that should tell me the world is friendly, but I don't know if I completely agree. I think that my world at home was so friendly that often it caused me to be surprised that the whole world is not that way. Do you remember first learning that there were starving children out there and no one to give them food or drink? As a child that was something that I could barely comprehend, "But we have boats and planes and technology! Why is the world so uncaring so as to let anyone be hungry?" I know it is not so simple, but as a child we think it is... I just don't think the world is so friendly... you know?
@MelanieAThomp Hi Melanie! Thanks again for letting me use the sweet photo of Eli!
Maybe the question would have been, is the world safe. "Friendly" can be taken in so many ways - it can mean fair, for instance. Your response seems to lean towards an unfairness. Am I understanding you? If some are starving and there are resources for all, this does denote unfriendliness for sure.
Do you believe the universe is a safe place? If we believe that, or if we believe as Julie says, that it is supportive, then we will have no fear. That would be a wonderful universe, wouldn't it!?
@Lori @MelanieAThomp Jumping in again... Hi Melanie! The penny just dropped that Eli is Elias. Love the photos on your blog this morning! Okay, back to the topic... I think we need to distinguish two words/ideas. There's the vast Universe, which is a place ruled by pure energy, and which will always bring us matching energy to our own. It's benevolent to the nth.
And then there's the world of man, here on our planet. Our world is full of contradictions, difficulties, exceptions, and what we perceive as unfairness. It's also full of life, which the Universe as pure energy is not! I believe that our Souls choose to come here from a state of pure energy, to experience the complexity of life. Then our Souls go back to pure energy, enriched by their time here.
So to me, the Earth can be a difficult place, but that's what makes it a living world. To want Earth to be perfect would rob it of the essence of life, and would deny our Souls this whole world of experiences.
Wow! Have you ever got me going this morning, Lori! Hugs to you and Melanie and Eli!
Carole
@Carole Remy @Lori Yes! Eli and Elias are one in the same. :) I have to say that I think I just disagree at a fundamental level. I don't believe that the universe is a force on it's own and that we choose our destinies before we come here. I believe that God put us here. So I'm finding it challenging to come to the same understanding as many here about 'the universe'. You know? I do find it interesting to read the different perspectives though. I find so many of them place so much of the pressure and blame on our lives on ourselves. WE chose this life, WE choose our hardships and our victories. What an incredible burden to bear. I find comfort in the belief that God has chosen this all for me and that he is here with me through it all and he can see the bigger picture. So while this Earth is broken, there is also so much of His love and grace here making Earth both a "friendly" and "unfriendly" place. And eventually I will be home in the friendliest of all places. :) I know we probably won't come to an agreement on this but that's what's beautiful about discussion- hearing new perspectives. :)
Hi Lori, I am with Riley, I don't think of it as friendly or unfriendly. OTOH I am not "on guard" against attack as is implied in the quote. I would say, "The universe is a supportive place." Also, fascinating and endless with its twists and turns.
I do think it helps to be born into love but it is not a requirement in order to grow up and live love every day.
I love your question,"Who is orchestrating the conditions of our arrival here?" I feel we do. It's pre-planned. So whether it is into love and comfort or poverty and chaos, or any number of other circumstances, it's just the right place for us.
@Julie | A Clear Sign Ooooh Julie - a "supportive" place! Maybe that IS the question Einstein should have posed! Still, that too is a perspective, leaning on the "friendly" side of the fence. Do you think it had anything to do with the experiences you have had that you believe the universe to be supportive? If you believed it to be ambivalent to you, would you life experiences be different today?
If we believe it was we who orchestrated the conditions of our arrival here, then things are neither good nor bad. Or are they? Maybe we chose to experience an unfriendly world, or a friendly one? Each choice should offer different experiences, right?
@Lori Yeah, I did a lot of hand wringing before I figured out that I wasn't ever alone and I am supported. It's mainly me getting in my own way, or forgetting that it's ALL perspective (and therefore never the whole truth, or even the truth at all), that stops me. It's a process. A gradual unfoldment, maybe.
It seems like we come into this world at the right time and place, to the right people. How many times have you heard,"If I hadn't had that experience as a kid, I never would have become XYZ?" I had a really nice childhood, but I've often had people tell me I didn't. I'm like,"Yes I did!" and they're all,"No, you didn't, you had that thing happen!" and I'm all."Yeah well what did you want...perfection?!" :)
@Julie | A Clear Sign I love your attitude Julie! There are no flies on you!
Einstein is a pretty good guy to have on your side in a debate but I have trouble framing my definition of the universe in terms like friendly vs. unfriendly. I will say I find it (the universe) unceasingly fascinating
@Rileyhar Fascinating is it Riley? That is something one can't argue with! It does lean more towards the "friendly" side of the fence though ;-) I like your non-judgmental assessment of the universe. It does seem to be the way a child looks out into life, a happy child that is.
Well my computer decided to print my comment before I was finished. I was going to say that's an adorable picture of Eli. You can almost see the wheels turning in mind.
Riley
Eli is a darling. I love the innocence shining from his eyes.
I had a turbulent childhood but always believed the Universe is a friendly place. Growing up was rocky. But I think the Universe is a friendly place. :-) It could be that I believe in balance - and was influenced by the words of two people who were dearest to me in life.
Hugs, Lori - what do you think?
So crazy. I posted the comment (or so I thought) and came back to find it didn't post! :D
@Vidya Sury I'm glad you persisted Vidya! Your view of life was positive even though your childhood was turbulent? Your mother had something to do with this I'm guessing? <3 Or maybe the circumstances alone are not enough to determine the conclusion a child forms. Maybe the child's nature or maybe just one person can influence a different opinion.
It shows that you believe the universe is a friendly place today. You're incredibly resilient and positive! Do you believe it's your nature to be this way, or the influences which trumped the turbulent childhood, or made sense of it for you which are responsible for this?